2026 Preseason All-State Offense

Will Helms August 11, 2026 @ 10:33 AM

Prep Redzone Preseason All-State Offense

Quarterback (1)

First-Team: Ethan Royal Ethan Royal 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB William A. Hough | 2027 State NC | Hough

Second-Team: Lex Sevilla Lex Sevilla 6'0" | 196 lbs | QB/P Middle Creek | 2027 State NC | Middle Creek

Analysis: Royal isn't likely to put up the biggest numbers in the state as a senior, but he was the unanimous first-team pick by our staff. He led Hough to a perfect season and first-ever state championship last season, and returns as our top-ranked 2027 quarterback. Sevilla and Ishman were among last year's leading passers, while Gray and Greenfield are two of the most athletic and productive dual threats in the state.

Running Back (2)

Analysis: McPhatter ran for 300 yards more than the second-leading returner in the state, adding 36 touchdowns last year. Evans was the focal point of 7A Reagan's offense. He and Amari Pearson Amari Pearson 5'8" | 185 lbs | RB Jacksonville | 2027 State NC are the only two returning 2,000-yard rushers in the 6A, 7A, or 8A classes.

McLean broke out once he became the starter late in his freshman year. Freeman and Pone are two of the best receivers out of the backfield in the state and are each entering their fourth year as major offensive contributors on top teams.

Wide Receiver (3)

Analysis: Clark moves over to Providence Day as the top overall prospect in our 2028 rankings. Thompson looks to improve on a 14-touchdown junior season that helped make him a surefire Power Four prospect. Ross was on pace for a top-five receiving season in the state last year before his quarterback situation deteriorated due to injuries.

Roberts is a physical freak who should improve on last year's numbers, while Thompson-Wynn, Parson, McClure, and Pertrarca were among the state's leaders in receiving last season.

Tight End (1)

First-Team: Jaxon Dollar Jaxon Dollar 6'5" | 210 lbs | TE/ATH East Lincoln | 2027 State NC | East Lincoln

Second-Team: Qualteau Hawkins Qualteau Hawkins 6'3" | 240 lbs | TE Stuart W. Cramer | 2027 State NC | Stuart Cramer

Analysis: Unfortunately for the rest of the state, our top overall 2027 prospect, Jaxon Dollar Jaxon Dollar 6'5" | 210 lbs | TE/ATH East Lincoln | 2027 State NC , was always going to take the top spot. After all, he went over 1,000 yards last year for East Lincoln.

I really like the rest of the guys on this list, though, with Lascallette and Hawkins having big years, each exceeding 500 yards on around 20 yards per catch. Easter and Barnes are high-upside Division I prospects with ample size and athleticism.

Offensive Line (5)*

Editor's Note: We as a writing team went back and forth about whether to include two tackles, two guards, and a center or the "Best Five." We settled on a Best Five for each team.

Analysis: This was by far the hardest group to pick. Despite the fact that we have 13 players here, there were several other talented offensive linemen left off the list.

Williams is arguably the top lineman in the state, regardless of class, while the top offensive line prospects in the 2027 and 2029 classes made the list, too ( Gavin Milton Gavin Milton 6'6" | 295 lbs | OL Grimsley | 2027 State NC and Amir Daniels Amir Daniels 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Millbrook | 2029 State NC , respectively).

The 2028 class is well-represented, with six of the 13 guys. That said, by the end of the year, the 2029 class could surpass it in terms of depth and quality. Daniels and Jenkins are our top two offensive linemen in that class.

Suttle and Hodson aren't the biggest names on the list, but both have been fantastic in recent years, and it's safe to think they'll continue to progress. There are plenty of other deserving players, but these 13 guys get our preseason award.

Offensive Flex (1)*

Editor's Note: While this ended up featuring primarily versatile athletes, this flex position is meant to be used to include the best available players who did not fit into our positional numbers.

First-Team: Jonathan Dillon Jonathan Dillon 6'2" | 175 lbs | ATH/WR Southern of Energy and Sustainability | 2027 State NC | Southern Durham

Second-Team: Mez Harris Mez Harris 5'11" | 185 lbs | ATH Hunt | 2027 State NC | Hunt

Analysis: There are some seriously talented multi-faceted players in the state of North Carolina. We used the flex position mainly to get versatile playmakers on the list. Dillon and Harris play quarterback for their respective teams, but they're being recruited to play the receiver position.

We wanted to get Dempsey on the list and went back and forth between receiver and flex, as the Charlotte commit is also a talented kick returner. Lynch can score from anywhere on the field, in a variety of ways. Cannon expects big things from Sales after he scored 18 touchdowns last season.

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